The Bremen Town Musicians

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Bremen town musicians. There was once an ass whose
master had made him carry sacks to the mill for
many a long year, but whose strength began at last
to fail, so that each day as it came, found
him less capable of work. Then his master began to
think of turning him out. But the ass, guessing that
something was in the wind that boded him no good,

(00:23):
ran away, taking the road to Bremen, for there he
thought he might get an engagement as a town musician.
When he had gone a little way, he found a
hound lying by the side of the road, panting as
if he had run a long way. Now hold fast,
what are you so out of breath about? Said the ass?
Oh dear, said the dog. Now I am old. I

(00:45):
get weaker every day and can do no good in
the hunt. So as my master was going to have
me killed, I have made my escape. But now how
am I to gain a living? I will tell you what,
said the ass. I am going to Bremen to become
town musician. You may as well go with me and
take up music too. I can play the lute and

(01:07):
you can beat the drum. And the dog consented, and
they walked on together. It was not long before they
came to a cat sitting in the road, looking as
dismal as three wet days. Now, then, what is the
matter with you, old shaver, said the ass. I should
like to know who would be cheerful when his neck
is in danger? Answered the cat. Now that I am old,

(01:30):
my teeth are getting blunt, and I would rather sit
by the oven and purr than run about after mice.
And my mistress wanted to drown me, so I took
myself off. But good advice is scarce, and I do
not know what is to become of me. Go with
us to Bremen, said the ass, and become town musician,
you understand, serenading. The cat thought well of the idea

(01:55):
and went with them accordingly. After that, the three travelers
passed by a yard, and a cock was perched on
the gate, crowing with all his might. Your cries are
enough to pierce bone and marrow, said the ass. What
is the matter. I have foretold good weather for lady day,
so that all the shirts may be washed and dried.

(02:16):
And now on Sunday morning company is coming, and the
mistress has told the cook that I must be made
into soup. And this evening, my neck is to be wrung,
so that I am crowing with all my might while
I can. You had much better go with us, chanticleer,
said the ass. We are going to Bremen. At any rate,
that will be better than dying. You have a powerful voice,

(02:38):
and when we are all performing together, it will have
a very good effect. So the cock consented, and they
went on all four together. But Bremen was too far
off to be reached in one day, and towards evening
they came to a wood where they determined to pass
the night. The ass and the dog lay down under
a large tree. The cat got up among the branches,

(03:02):
and the cock flew up to the top, as that
was the safest place for him. Before he went to sleep,
he looked all round him to the four points of
the compass, and perceived in the distance a little light shining,
and he called out to his companions that there must
be a house not far off, as he could see
a light. So the ass said we had better get

(03:23):
up and go there, for these are uncomfortable quarters. The
dog began to fancy a few bones not quite bare
would do him good. Then they all set off in
the direction of the light, and it grew larger and brighter,
until at last it led them to a robber's house.
All lighted up. The ass, being the biggest, went up

(03:44):
to the window and looked in. Well what do you see,
asked the dog. What do I see? Answered the ass.
Here is a table set out with splendid eatables and drinkables,
and robbers sitting at it and making themselves very comfortable.
That just suit us, said the cock. Yes, indeed I
wish we were there, said the ass. Then they consulted

(04:06):
together how it should be managed so as to get
the robbers out of the house, and at last they
hit on a plan. The ass was to place his
fore feet on the window sill, The dog was to
get on the ass's back, the cat on the top
of the dog, and lastly the cock was to fly
up and perch on the cat's head. When that was done,

(04:27):
at a given signal, they all began to perform their music.
The ass brayed, the dog barked, the cat mewed, and
the cock crowed. Then they burst through into the room,
breaking all the panes of glass. The robbers fled at
the dreadful sound. They thought it was some goblin and
fled to the wood in the utmost terror. Then the

(04:48):
four companions sat down to eat, made free with the
remains of the meal, and feasted as if they had
been hungry for a month. And when they had finished,
they put out the lights, and each saw out a
sleeping place to suit his nature and habits. The ass
laid himself down outside on the dunghill, the dog behind
the door, the cat on the hearth by the warm ashes,

(05:11):
and the cock settled himself in the cock loft. And
as they were all tired with their long journey, they
soon fell fast asleep. When midnight drew near, and the
robbers from Afar saw that no light was burning, and
that everything appeared quiet. Their captain said to them that
he thought that they had run away without reason, telling
one of them to go and reconnoiter. So one of

(05:35):
them went and found everything quite quiet. He went into
the kitchen to strike a light, and, taking the glowing
fiery eyes of the cat for burning coals, he held
a match to them in order to kindle it. But
the cat, not seeing the joke, flew into his face,
spitting and scratching. Then he cried out in terror and

(05:55):
ran to get out at the back door, But the
dog who was lying there ran at him and bit
his leg, And as he was rushing through the yard
by the dunghill, the ass struck out and gave him
a great kick with his hind foot. And the cock,
who had been wakened with the noise and felt quite brisk,
cried out, cock a doodle doo. Then the robber got

(06:17):
back as well as he could to his captain and said, oh, dear,
in that house there is a gruesome witch, and I
felt her breath and her long nails in my face.
And by the door there stands a man who stabbed
me in the leg with a knife. And in the
yard there lies a black specter who beat me with
his wooden club. And above upon the roof there sits

(06:38):
the justice, who cried, bring that rogue here. And so
I ran away from the place as fast as I could.
From that time forward, the robbers never ventured to that house,
and the four Bremen Town Musicians found themselves so well
off where they were, that there they stayed. And the

(06:58):
person who last for lay that this tale is still living,
as you see. End of the Bremontown Musicians by the
brothers Grimm,